Accessory for lifting hoists



Jan. 25, 1955 l.. MEILI ACCESSORY FOR LIFTING HoIsTs 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 8, 1950 INVENToR. OU/5 ME/L/ ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1955 L.. MEI'LI 2,700,568

ACCESSORY FOR LIFTING HoIsTs Filed Feb. s, 1950 2 sheets-sheet 2 www" A TTOENE Y.

United States Patent() z,1oo,s6s i ACCESSORY FOR LIFTING HOISTS Louis Meili, Zurich, Switzerland Application February 8, 1950, Serial No. 142,967

Claims priority, application Switzerland August 6, 1949 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-78) It is generally known that the lifting or hoisting of certain loads is a very complicated matter. In particular, because of the unequal distances apart occurring between the lifting hook and the load, the chain or wire-rope legs are of different lengths. The unpractical type of lifting device often leads to clumsy handling of the goods and to accidents. Also, indeed, the legs uniting in the shape of a pyramid are often the cause of damage to the goods lifted.

Nearly every time that the position of an object has to be changed, whether during transport, when stacking, setting into position, etc., it must be hoisted, and from this it can be seen that the moving and the tools adopted for the purpose are of decisive importance.

The described drawbacks are eliminated by the accessory for lifting hoists according to the present invention.

This accessory consists of a plate-shaped object, ribbed in accordance with the requirements of strength and elasticity, and having at its centre of gravity a suspending fitting and, distributed round the whole circumference near to the periphery, at least three members for the attaching of chains or ropes for suspending the transported goods.

The star-shaped plate with the supporting lengths of chain or rope can be suited to any position of the goods, and it is at once possible to lift any desired object without great previous knowledge. Store rooms and warehouses are often very limited in height, and this renders transport appreciably more dicult. By the accessory according to the invention, in which the lengths of chain or rope no longer run together in the shape of a pyramid, the fixing point can be kept lower; it is therefore possible to stack goods to a greater height.

In the following, with reference to the drawings, some examples of execution of the accessory according to the invention, as well as a few of the many possibilities of adopting it, are described. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view looking down on a carrying arrangement with provision for the possible attachment of 6 chains,

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the same arrangement in condition ready for service, and

Figs. 3-6 show each an example of the manner of fixing the object in side view or seen from above.

The reference numeral 1 designates the plate-like carrying plate, which has strengthening ribs 2. In the centre of the carrying plate a bolt 3 is provided, which terminates below in a hook 4 and is connected above to a carrying ring 5. At the end of each rib 2 a throughgoing slot 6 is provided, and at right angles to it a groove 7. Between the slots of the ribs, lamellae 8 are provided; they serve for exible equalising of the forces.

The grooves 7 serve for taking chain links 9a and are designed to suit them. The slot is provided for the next chain link 9b.

When the chains 9 are loaded by the load L, the force is transmitted to the carrying plate from the shoulders of the chain link 9a. Up to a maximum deflection of the chain of 60 from the vertical outwards, any detaching is rendered impossible because of the depth of the groove. A release through torsion does not come into question because of the position of the next chain link towards the load in slot 6. In addition to the described possibilities of xing with chains, others may be adopted, such as hooks, etc. The chain may also be replaced by a similar, untearable length of rope, with suitable altering ice- Aof the fixing to the carrying plate, the length of therope being of no importance. The loose end of the rope will also be preferably attached to the carrying plate.

If the accessory for lifting hoists is employed for very great or very bulky loads, the carrying plate may be made thicker, with more ribs, or larger in diameter. The shape of the carrying plate may be circular, oblong or polygonal. If the fixing facilities have been designed for large and heavy chains, a second fixing member for smaller chains can be inserted to help if necessary. The carrying ring S and also the hook 4 may be replaced by a member suitable for the particular service requirements, for instance by a lifting magnet. The carrying plate may, depending on the maximum service requirements, be provided with a number of xing facilities for lengths of chain or rope, this number being greater than two. The greater the number of fixing facilities, the more universal will be the adoption, but for reasons of strength the maximum number should not exceed 16. Preferably, however, one of the numbers 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 will be chosen. In this way any desired object can be fixed in such a manner that it maintains a definite position when being lifted.

In Figs. 3-6 examples of adoption are illustrated, in each of which the following advantages are obtained:

Fig. 3, protection of the insulators by avoiding the usual pyramids of chains.

Fig. 4, adopting three points of suspension in one plane. v

These two examples show that it is not necessary to make use of all the fixing members. The chief point is that the distribution of the loaded chains on the carrying plate should be uniform to a certain extent.

Fig. 5 shows an example of an object which has its centre of gravity more towards one side, but nevertheless remains in its horizontal position.

In the example illustrated'in Fig. 6, one and the same chain is iixed twice in the carrying plate, in order to form a strong loop. In this case the carrying plate has eight fixing facilities for the lengths of chain or rope. As can be seen from the examples, the number of fixing facilities is of no importance to the accessory. The described accessory may be adopted in any industry where hoists and the like are required.

What I claim is:

l. An accessory for hoists, comprising a horizontal plate provided along its edge with a plurality of vertical, throughgoing slots extending from said edge inwardly, the upper surface of said plate being provided with a plurality of pairs of aligned recesses positioned on opposite sides of and opening into respective ones of said slots in spaced relation to said edge and to the ends of said slots, each pair of recesses being thus adapted to receive a link of a chain having its next lower link held in the corresponding slot, and suspension means ou said plate for supporting the latter from above.

2. An accessory for hoists, comprising a centrally symmetrical .horizontal plate and suspension means at the center of said plate, said plate being provided at uniformly spaced portions of its periphery with radially inwardly extending vertical, throughgoing slots, the upper surface of said plate being provided with a plurality of pairs of aligned recesses positioned on opposite sides of an opening into respective ones of said slots in spaced relation to said periphery and to the ends of said slots, each pair of recesses being thus adapted to receive a link of a chain having its next lower link held in the corresponding slot.

3. In an accessory for hoists the combination, with a chain having crossed links, of a horizontal plate provided with a vertical, throughgoing slot extending from an edge of said plate inwardly, said slot being adapted to receive a link of said chain, a surface of said plate being provided with a pair of aligned recesses positioned on opposite sides of said slot and communicating therewith, said recesses having a width substantially equal to that of said slot and being so positioned therealong as to accommodate ai link of said chain next adjacent a link received in said s ot.

(References on following page) f vReferences Cited liimthe iile of this patent 4 Jenkins Apr. 21, 1925 Speck et al. Mar. 5, 1929 Kelso Mar. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS i Great Britain Aug. 17, 1942 

